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2017.03.08

DENR steps up campaign against illegal activities in Negros Occidental

The Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) in Cadiz City, which covers areas from Victorias City to San Carlos City in Negros Occidental, is intensifying the campaign against any form of illegal environmental activities, its official said.

Edgardo Rostata, head of CENRO-Cadiz, said Monday saturation drives, regular patrolling, surprise inventory, monitoring of lumberyards and furniture shops, and education campaign like “pulong-pulong” during barangay general assemblies, are among the agency’s sustaining activities.

Rostata said these measures are aligned with the efforts on strengthening the barangay-based forest protection group and creation of area-based stations manned by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Forest Rangers.

“They are augmented by Deputized Environment and Natural Resources Officers (DENROs), police and military forces, and members of Revolutionary Proletarian Army -Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPA-ABB) Forest Guards,” he said, adding that their priority concerned areas include Barangays Marcelo and Minapasok in Calatrava, and Barangays Celestino Villacin and Caduhaan in Cadiz City.

CENRO-Cadiz records showed that in January this year, two criminal cases have been filed already against violators of Section 77 of Presidential Decree 705, or the Revised Forestry Code of the Philippines.

Other similar violations which have been subjected to administrative confiscation proceedings are charcoal trading and transport which perpetrators were recently apprehended in Sagay City.

The apprehensions were conducted in checkpoints, although smaller in quantity, but still in violation of the forestry code, Rostata said.

“With the new deployment scheme and a barangay-based law enforcement group, none occurrence of illegal cutting can be achieved especially during this summer season,” he added. (PNA)
LAP/NLG/EPN